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Protection is the most common main reason for owning a gun, but millennials and Gen Z could change that.
A new survey by Pew Research Center found that adults aged 18 to 29 are more likely to cite sport shooting as their principle reason for owning a gun.
"Older people are saying they want guns for protection, but 18 to 29 year-olds are saying they're more into going shooting at a gun range," Kim Parker, director of social trends research at Pew Research Center, told NBC News. "They're also more likely to listen to gun-oriented podcasts and shows, more likely to participate in online forums, and generally more likely to integrate technology in gun culture."
Drop in Crime, Rise in Video Games
This behavioral shift in younger adults, where guns are less needed, and more appreciated, makes sense on a few levels: For one, murder rates are near historic lows, down by half of what they were in 1991 when nearly 50 percent of Americans had guns in their home, according to a poll by Gallup.
"The drop in violent crime has been extraordinary," said James B. Jacobs, Warren E. Burger professor of Law, and Director at the Center for Research in Crime and Justice at NYU School of Law. "When as a society we become more safe, there is less interest in owning a handgun, most of which are owned out of a concern for personal safety."
Millennials aren't that into guns — except in video games